Dear Editor,
Kindly permit me to express my views on the lawlessness on the roads. One can say that there is a complete breakdown of law and order on our roads, especially on the West Demerara and it is my firm belief that it was caused by political corruption. There are PPP aligned persons who have installed red and blue lights on their vehicles, driving dangerously on the right hand side of the road, against traffic, forcing lawful road users to take evasive actions to avoid collision. The lorry drivers who work for certain companies aligned with PPP leaders also drive the same way. Minibus drivers also do the same, also taxi drivers.
The police do not ever stop the vehicles with red and blue lights. In fact, the police do not stop large SUVs no matter how fast they are speeding. They do not stop the lorries because they know who are the real owners of such lorries. Minibuses and taxi drivers settle matters with the police so they continue to drive dangerously all over the road. The absence of law enforcement, caused by political corruption, have led to drivers doing their own thing such as almost invisible number plates, tinted tail lights and even blacked out brake lights and trafficators, stopping and even parking on drive lanes, driving on right hand side of road, including shoulder and parapets, overtaking on left of vehicles, overtaking and cutting right in front of vehicles, driving on shoulders and parapets forcing pedestrians to run for their lives etc, etc.
Editor, a start to restoring law and order on our roads must start with the PPP persons being made to obey the laws. Those red and blue lights and even sirens must be removed. Once the political leaders obey the laws, other drivers will cease their lawlessness. If the political leaders, and their friends are seen to be above the law then citizens will continue to emulate the lawlessness. In the space of 1 week we have seen a lorry driver failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing and colliding with a minibus leading to 4 deaths and a driver being forced off the road and into a trench by a “security” vehicle owned by PPP persons.
Sincerely,
Malcolm Harripaul A.A